Roasted Fresh California Squab With Roasted Garlic Cabernet Sauce Served With Celery Root Puree And Swiss Chard Leaves Food

FRESH HALIBUT STEAMED IN SWISS CHARD WITH THAI CURRY CREAM

Steps:

• Season halibut lightly with salt, pepper and lime zest and set aside. Blanch chard leaves in lightly salted water for 5 to 10 seconds until softened and then immediately plunge into ice water to stop cooking and set color. Pat dry and wrap halibut pieces completely with leaves.
• To serve: Add mushrooms, scallions and olive oil to an oven-proof saute pan large enough to hold fish in one layer. Saute mushroom mixture until its just beginning to color. Place wrapped fish on top of mushroom mixture, add the wine and stock and cover. Finish cooking fish on top of stove over moderate heat or in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until fish is cooked through. With a spatula, lift fish and its mushroom bed and place attractively on warm plates. Pour sauce around and garnish with cilantro sprigs and deep fried leeks on top of wrapped fish.

NANCY'S GARLIC SWISS CHARD WITH A KICK

Steps:

• Separate Swiss chard stems from leaves. Chop the stems and set the leaves aside. Saute stems in olive oil until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Coarsely chop the leaves. Add the garlic, peppers, chard leaves, and soy and cook until tender. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice.

ROASTED SQUAB WITH TEA SOAKED QUINCE AND MATSUAKE TEA CONSOMME

Steps:

• FOR SQUAB: Heat saute pan until almost smoking, and add duck fat. Season squab breast and legs. Saute skin side down until crispy. Flip over and cook until breast are medium rare and leg cooked through. FOR QUINCE: Place quince and peelings in a saucepan and add rosemary, ginger, quince berry tea, vanilla bean and other ingredients. Cook until tender and slice quince into medallions. FOR CONSOMME: Mix tea with squab consomme and soy. Bring to boil. Let steep for 2 minutes. Strain through a fine strainer. Add brunoise vegetables and chives. Reserve warm. FOR GARNISHES: Heat butter in saute pan, add lambs quarters and season with salt and pepper. Add baby carrots and vegetable stock. Cook to glacee. TO SERVE: In a large serving bowl, place lamb quarters and carrots. Top with quince and top with squab. Spoon consomme around. Garnish with chervil.;

AMAZING SIMPLE RACK OF LAMB WITH CABERNET SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425.
• Mix together seasoning ingredients in a bowl.
• Heat Olive Oil in large skillet to medium.
• If you like you can trim some fat from the racks. You also can slice them in half for smaller racks.(I usually do whole 8 bone racks) Sprinkle seasoning on each rack.
• Sear each rack on all sides until browned(2-4 minutes tops) Put racks into roasting pan and bake for 15 minutes to 130 degrees (for medium).Or 20 mins for a light pink med well. When lamb is done take it out of the oven and cover pan with foil and let lamb sit for 10 minutes.
• While lamb is cooking, make cabernet sauce by melting butter in the searing skillet ( Do NOT wash out skillet -- you want the cooked bits of lamb or "fond" in there for flavor ). When melted add flour and cook for a minute or so. Stir in other ingriedents starting with the Wine and Beef Broth, then simmer for a bit to reduce the liquid. You can add a bit of cornstarch if you want it thicker(My wife likes it to be more like gravy).
• When everything is ready you can cut the racks into 2 bone chops or leave it whole depending on your presention. Serve with Cab sauce on the side. The Cab Sauce is also great on mashed pototoes. Enjoy!

PAN-ROASTED SQUAB WITH SPRING GARLIC COMPOTE

Steps:

• Remove the breasts, thighs, and drumsticks from the squab and reserve. Using a large chef's knife, chop the bodies and wings into 3 or 4 pieces. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the squab bones and parts and sauté until well browned. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic cloves. Cook until softened and lightly colored, 6 to 8 minutes in all, then add 2 cups of the wine. Continue to cook until reduced by three-quarters, 6 to 8 minutes, then add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid. You should end up with about 2 cups liquid. Discard the solids. Put the liquid in a clean saucepan and reduce until syrupy, or 1/4 cup total; the timing will vary depending on your stove and pan, but will be about 15 minutes.
• To make the compote, cut the spring garlic bulbs from the stems, then slice crosswise 1/8 inch thick. Film a sauté pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat over high heat. Fry the garlic until crisp and lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour off the oil. Add the remaining 1 cup wine to the pan and cook over medium heat until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 10 minutes. Add the honey and cook until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 4 to 5 minutes. Reserve at room temperature.
• In a large sauté pan over high heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil on high heat and fry the squab breasts, thighs, and drumsticks skin-side down first, putting a light weight on the breasts or pressing with a spatula, for about 3 minutes. Turn the pieces and cook for 2 minutes longer, then turn once more to crisp the skin and finish cooking. Breasts should be served medium-rare, while thighs and drumsticks are cooked through. Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
• When ready to serve, reheat the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Divide the compote among 4 plates and place the squab pieces on top. Spoon the sauce around the squab and serve.

GARLIC ROASTED CRAB

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500*.
• In a very large oven-proof bowl, place butter and olive oil.
• Put in oven to melt butter and heat bowl (the bowl needs to be hot when you add the crab).
• Break crab legs apart from body, and break body into 2 sections per crab, but do not remove meat from shell.
• Stir crab into hot butter and olive oil mixture; sprinkle in minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
• Toss everything together well.
• Bake for 6 minutes and toss well again.
• Bake another 6 minutes, until crab is heated through and garlic is light brown.
• Remove from oven and top with lemon juice and parsley; toss again.
• Serve from hot bowl with lots of napkins and artisanal French or sourdough bread (such as La Brea Bakery's) to soak up the delicious juices.